The Crow: Light Of The Day
by Anya LB
Summary: Not exactly a typical crow story, but perhaps one that's like a cousin to one. Please read and review.


The Crow: Light Of The Day

_ Tales that begin in the minds of children echo on through myth and fable. It is only when one of pure heart is willing to allow the truth, then all pain can be released...into the light._

The wind blows gently as neighbors mow their lawn and work on projects that they've postponed for way too long. As ten year old Rachel swings blissfully on her swing set next door, young Nicholas overhears a conversation going on between his parents, Julie and Charles Day.

Charles: "It was only a week ago that she was playing with Nick. What happens in such a brief time..."

Julie: "And she wanted to be a ballerina..."

As Julie looks ahead, to Nick as he plays with his action figures, Charles puts his arms on her shoulders, massaging her neck. Charles just senses something...

Charles: "Jul..."

Julie: "Charles, I saw something at that funeral."

Charles: "You're just tired, hon."

Julie: "Charles Warren Day, I am not a child."

Julie pauses for a moment, then speaks up with arms crossed.

Julie: "Do you remember little Audrey Light? I remember my mother telling me about her mother seeing her..."

Charles: "... She died over 100 years ago, right?"

Julie: "I saw something over by The Moorehead's grave. A figure almost... "

Charles: "Making it sound like a ghost."

Charles looks up and sees Julie trembling. He takes her into his arms and holds her, hoping she'll let go of what she remembers.

_Twenty years later, in what seems like a lifetime passed._

Just about three hours ago, Nick Day found out that his father died of a heart attack. Time to return home and bury Dad.

"Oh, I missed you so much, baby."

Nick and his mother embrace, one that speaks of how long he's been away for.

Nick: "I missed you too, Momma."

Momma: "How's it going between you and Rebecca?"

Nick: "We broke up. I really don't think it was meant to be, Mom. It just didn't feel right."

Momma: "You're my only boy, Nicky. As long as you follow your heart, you'll find your path"

Nick: "I'll worry about that after Dad's funeral. Do the Townes still live next door?"

Momma: "Not since a month ago. Rachel died in a car crash and her parents decided to move to Florida. They weren't interested in staying in the same town anymore."

As Nick mulls over that, his mother goes back to the phone and finishes calling up the relatives, setting up the plans for the funeral and the wake. He considers trying to help out but his mother motions him away. Seeing her son at a loss for words and actions, his mother whispers to him to go out for a while. Not wanting to fight, Nick decides to say goodbye to an old friend, one too many lately. Nick grabs his keys and kisses his mother on her cheek. He then waves his phone to let her know she can call him. Mom just nods as she talks to Aunt Lynn. Nick heads off to his car, wondering what the present moment has in store for him, knowing that many a town don't always respect the dead.

_i used to know a little square so long ago, when i was small_

After finding out where Rachel's grave plot is at, and after picking up some beautiful flowers, Nick visits his childhood friend. A typical grave marker to a "T", Nick places the flowers by the headstone. A little foggy from the trip and the reality of the dearly departed, all that comes to Nick is his memories of Rachel, from grade school to high school. Not a big fan at the moment for big speeches, all Nick can mutter is ,"I promise I'll come back and we'll reminisce. I'll bring the Floyd." Mulling over the uncertainty of life itself and a million other dreams inspired by the current locale and then hearing some music coming from someone's house, Nick looks around the cemetery until he sees a flash of light. Brushing it off and under assumption of exhaustion, Nick decides it's better to let it roll off and takes his time walking to his car while he recognizes Jeff Buckley's 'Je N'en Connais Pas La Fin". Nick is about a moment away from his car when he hears a very faint voice on the breeze...

_"Help"_

Ascertaining a possible direction, he puts his hands in his pockets and casually strides along, viewing the graves. After giving a moment for the chance of anything, he decides to leave when he swears he hears something. He turns around and sees a figure in white about fifteen feet away. Curious, Nick walks over and sees a little girl, in a dress from a bygone era, by a grave site.

Nick: "What are you doing, little girl?"

With the small creeping presence of a Gaelic dialect...

"Waiting for my mommy and daddy."

Nick: "What's your name?"

"Audrey Light..."

That name. It's so familiar but he can't remember why. Nick walks over to the little girl and notices the names on the grave: Brandon Light & Melanie Laine Light. As his mouth gapes open , he recalls back to that day so many years ago, when he remembered his Mom and Dad talking about little Audrey Light. The shock of totally realizing what he's looking at sends him falling to the ground, out cold.

"Are you ok, mister?"

Nick's eyes open up and little Audrey Light is right over him. He crawls backwards hastily and screams, tripping over some grave markers.

Nick: "Oww...fuck."

"Why are you running and screaming mister?"

Nick looks behind himself and Audrey is there.

Nick: "You're... You're...You're..."

"You're silly."

Something about this child then calms him down. He sits up and just looks at her.

Nick: "You're dead..."

"I'm not dead. I'm just waiting for my Mommy and Daddy."

Nick: "Do you know what year it is?"

"Mommy never told me."

Nick places his head down in thought.

Nick: "It's 2005, Audrey."

"No, it's 1850."

Nick: "I thought you said you didn't know."

The ghostly image of Audrey Light grows brightly, blinding Nick. Moments later, the light dims and standing in front of him is a much older apparition in an older version of that same dress.

Audrey: "Thank you."

Nick: "What did I do?"

Audrey: "You broke one part of my curse."

Nick: "How did I do that?"

Audrey: "By simply listening."

Nick: "What's the other part?"

Audrey: "Would you like the hear my story?"

Nick: "Uh...sure."

Audrey points toward the children's park.

Audrey: "That is where our house was, back in 1850."

1850

Right outside of the woods, within the bright of day, lay the Laine's house, the descendants of Irish and Finnish immigrants who came over to America in the mid 17th Century. Their little daughter, Audrey was on the verge of turning ten; the next day actually. She was as happy as any little girl could be one early Monday morning when Melanie, her mother, was teaching Audrey how to read. She was a very progressive and strong woman, one who didn't want to just settle. As she was teaching Audrey to read William Makepeace Thackeray, the door bursts open and three men waltz in. The biggest one steps forward, axe in hand.

Duncan Forrest: "Wow, I would have thought y'all had been out of here by now."

Melanie Light: "Who are you people?"

Forrest: "Mister Jack wanted me to come collect. He thought y'all might have already been skippin' town. Now you made it too easy now."

Melanie: "Brandon!"

Forrest: "I don't think your boy gonna be hearin' you, missy"

The one called Garrett Way steps ahead and grabs Audrey. Her mother tries to run after Daddy but the other one, Quentin Mark, grabs her.

Audrey: "Where's my daddy at?"

Forrest: "Last I heard, little girl, boy was tryin' ta collect his getaway money. Thought pops was all white and gentle, didn't ya?"

Garrett: "You remind me of my little cousin, girly...

Garrett pinches Audrey's butt. Audrey responds with a painful yelp.

Quentin: "I thought you were over that shit, Garrett. You know hell's still got a place for people like you still.

Forrest: "I don't want to be accomplice to stuff like that, boys. Let's get this over with."

Melanie struggles, not wanting to see Garrett assault her child like that or face the inevitable. Quentin just stares at Mommy.

Quentin: "Ain't she a wild little mare! Think I should break her in?"

Garrett: "Nope. About time I cut her up, though."

Quentin: "Damn."

Garrett pulls out his gun as they push Melanie and Audrey towards the stove.

Forrest: "Your judgement day, is here, Mrs. Laine. Quentin, put her head on top."

With Melanie's head positioned ever so nicely, Forrest takes an executioners position and separates Mrs. Melanie from her body.

Forrest: "Now go clean that up before it gets messy."

Quentin exits to gather what they left outside. Seeking the chance of an opportunity, Audrey just manages to break loose of Garrett.

Forrest: "Dammit Garrett."

Audrey tries to run to the door but is blocked by Forrest and Garrett and runs instead for the closet."

Forrest: "Now you really are making this hard for me, little girl. But I'm getting tired of this."

Forrest walks over to the closet and not wanting to waste anymore time, sends the butt of the axe at the door. Instead of knocking it open and revealing the little girl, the butt of knocks a raw hole into the door and , as the door reveals a moment later, right through Audrey's mouth, and out through her neck. Audrey falls down, dead.

Quentin comes back in with a pretty big bag. Within minutes, Duncan Forrest and Co. leave the premises with two large bags, on their way to "accumulate" Brandon Laine.

Nick just sits there, trying to assimilate all of this.

Nick: "Sorry to hear that."

Audrey: "I'm not done yet."

Nick looks at his watch. "The wake isn't for another two hours so I guess I can stay."

Audrey: "This'll be done before then."

Audrey wakes up in a Grim Brothers inspired locale. A hooded crow soars down to a cross in the ground near to her, releasing a deafening caw , scaring Audrey.

She looks closer and sees her parents names on the cross.

"Audrey Light"

Turning around, she sees an older man off in the short distance. His silhouette doesn't reveal quite enough.

Audrey: "Me?"

"You have a chance to fix this. But for once, not the same. Let your screaming demons do your play."

Something of a feeling flies through Audrey's body. Her body phases in and out of reality rapidly(whatever reality it even was), reverting to an incorporeal body. Audrey shakes as it searches for a formidable form. Within a mere moment, Audrey's final phase displays an adult form.

Audrey: "My parents..."

Audrey started to cry until the man spoke again.

"You were taken too soon. Unfortunately, in your previous state, you would have been unable to carry out your mission."

Audrey: "What mission?"

"You are to return..maintain your goal or suffer"

Awareness and necessity of what needs to be done crowds her mind. As the man points at a mirror in front of her, Audrey steps into it. . . .

"Nadia, come in here before your food gets cold.."

Nadia: "Yes Momma."

As Nadia finishes playing in the mud and then wipes her hands in the water of the pond, the ground next to her moves. As it continues, a hand and eventually a whole body follows it out of a hole in the ground. Nadia just stares as the figure jumps into the pond to rinse itself off. Looking more human now, it walks up to Nadia and stops.

"I think your momma is calling you, little girl."

Nadia responds with a nod and walks home. Watching as the girl walks towards her house, Audrey pauses a moment to recall what could have been. Then, as she looks at the hole, she looks ahead of her and walks.

Later that day

Recalling the sour milk he had earlier,Garrett runs to his outhouse, unleashing animalistic grunts and barely manageable smells. As the results of what he ingested flies out with the gusto of swarms of people running away from widely spread flatulence, it comes to an end and allows him to rest for the moment. Out in the distance, he hears something that almost sounds like a scream. He takes a pause for a second, then dismisses it as some bird diving down for it's lunch. Convinced that the brown and green "demons of hellfire" have exited, Garrett gets his wits about himself and gets ready to compose himself. Just then, the door opens wide and Garrett sees a figure by the door.

Garrett: "Close the damn door."

Audrey: "I guess I'm lucky I can't smell."

Audrey walks in and grabs Garrett at the neck, slamming him against the wall.

Albeit a little distorted, Garrett gurgles out,"Who the hell are you?"

Audrey: "Do you not see simple eyes on my face?"

Audrey looks deep into his eyes. "You knew me not back then and will not know me now."

Audrey picks up Garrett and in one quick second, turns him upside down and throws him into the toilet. As he's about to totally fall in, Audrey catches his ankle and holds it. With his head in the liquid and solid waste kept there, Garrett's struggles to get out of the mixture and away from the smell. As the smell is too strong and Garrett is unable to keep his mind on holding his breath, Audrey continues to hold his ankle with limitless strength and determination. Eventually, Garrett's last attempt at a breath fails as his body stops shaking. Audrey lets go, allowing Garrett to join the rest of the scum like him.

"Is that just about it, then?"

"Just about. Maybe we oughta..."

A piercing high pitched scream reaches their ears, almost capable of rupturing them.

Duncan: "What was that?"

Quentin: "Sounded like a banshee from hell."

Audrey falls out from the air and lands behind the two of them.

Audrey: "And that noise would be me."

As Quentin turns around, the sharp blade of Duncan's axe, as held by Audrey, separates Quentin's body from his head. As his body falls down, Audrey uses it as a bat and sends Duncan at the ground.

Audrey: "I am aware you will not understand this but I am that little girl you killed yesterday. Audrey Light."

Knowing that she can't let him live, Audrey jumps into the air and as she comes down, sends the handle of the axe into Duncan's mouth, leaving a hole out the back of his mouth. With Duncan now dead, she leaves the axe sticking out as a reminder of what she did today. As Audrey walks away, the figure she saw before appears before her.

"Enter your house and be with the ones you love, Audrey."

As Audrey looks now, the man wears a weathered long duster and hat, almost like a cowboy in the town square...except the skin has now all rotted from existence.

Audrey looks and looks slightly puzzled. "Who are you?"

"Someone like you, just dead a lot longer. I wouldn't wait too long, though."

The Skull Cowboy points at himself, waving his hand for a brief moment, then tips his hat in farewell.

Audrey walks off, intent on returning home.

2005

Nick: "How did you go from being an adult 155 years ago to being a child just mere moments ago?

Audrey stands back a moment, as if recoiling from an abundance of memories that she had lost for years.

Audrey: "Recallin' al' av dat, oi never made it back ter cabin. Al' av dat banshee business ran its course juicy swiftly, shape shiftin' an' al'. an' den oi met yer."

Nick: "Did you just go from a normal accent to an Irish one?

Audrey: "Being dead has its consequences."

Nick: "...And back. I guess lost for all those years, eh?"

Nick just stands there, lost in the moment.

Audrey: "Are you ok?"

Nick: "Just thinking...so many lives gone in the blink of a moment."

Audrey: "Thank you... for listening to me. I can go now"

Nick: "So all the ghosts want is somebody to listen?"

Audrey: "Sometimes..."

As Nick grins, Audrey stands up. "I need to ask you one last thing."

Nick: "What?"

Audrey: "May I kiss you?"

Nick: "If it'll help you, I guess."

Audrey bends down and kisses Nick on the lips. For a very brief second, flesh touches flesh.

Nick opens his eyes and Audrey is gone. He looks around and spots a wolf, walking slowly away. The wolf looks back at Nick, with Audrey's eyes and then continues on into the woods.

Nick: "You're welcome, Audrey."

Nick drives home in time to be with his mother and attend the wake. The next day, he attends the funeral to say goodbye to his father.

_This is our last goodbye_

_I hate to feel the love between us die_

_But it's over,Just hear this and then i'll go_

_You gave me more to live for_

_More than you'll ever know_

**This is a story that I've had shelved for quite some time and from a line of stories I wrote about 10 years ago. I'm putting this to bed while at the same time, open to criticism and productive inspiration in doing so. I am well aware that this is not a proper way to write a story(structure and all), as i've had a friend tell me. However, this is how this comes from me.


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